18 comments:

randall
said...

Um. Tampering with someone else's property is usually a crime. Now if the tree was someone's property then you've got a good fight, but to just claim ownership over a public tree and use that as your excuse to tamper with someone's bike, etc. Well...

@Anon 1:07 - the City does not pay for or install tree guards, they are paid for and installed by either the Block Association or the residents of the building in front of which the tree is planted. So they are technically private property, surrounding the tree which is city property. @Anon 1:10, I would imagine the tree guard is there precisely to "prevent dogs from peeing on the plants and trees", hence no need for a bicycle to perform that function.

sadly in the absence of common sense (bikes locked to tree guards/fences usually obstruct sidewalk flow/traffice, never mind those who lock bikes directly to trees, another issue altogether) the "control freaks" must take charge. the absolute lack of care or consideration outside of oneself that is RAMPANT in the city now i believe justifies such measures.

You cannot affix property to City property and *poof* magically make it private property. These treeas are maintained by the City and no measure of magic guard rail will make them yours. My suggestion, don't put them there. You are violating the law by stealing people's bikes.

Locking bikes to trees is a huge fine (either $500 to $1000). I know that the law about locking bikes to signs is quite ambiguous (probably intentionally). That is probably the case of locking a bike to a tree guard.

Nonetheless, the legality of locking a bike to a tree guard does not have an affect on the legality of someone taking that bike.

Still not sure how that bike locked to that tree guard was obstructing the sidewalk in any way.

This seems remarkably similar to the "private bike rack" that was over on Avenue B for awhile. Overzealous citizen thinking their property somehow extends to public areas.

Listen, before I form a definite opinion on this issue, I will need more data. However, as a native New Yorker, I am truly offended by this line because it is usually said by some clueless fly over state hick who, ironically, is from suburbia.

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